Means for securing draw sticks in window shades



July 24, 1928.. 1,678,534

E. REUKAUF, JR

MEANS FOR SECURING DRAW STICKS IN wnwow SHADES Fil'ed Jan. 19, 1928 Fatentecl July 24, 1928 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

Enw nnnEo rAu -am E PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, TO CAREY: MQEALL 00., 0F PII LAnELI -IIA; PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- vANI Q MEANS FOR SECURING DRAW STICKS IN wINnow sIIAnEs.

Application filed January 19, 1928.. Serial No. 247,862.

Thisinvention relates to means for securing the draw-sticks in the hems of window shades, especially those used in automobiles of the various enclosed types or similar vehicles. The common practicel for securing these sticks in place'is to fold the'curtain material over the respective ends of' the stick andmanually sewthe adjacent edges together to close the ends of the hemro f the curtain, andthereby retain the stick within the said hem. A screw eye is thenplaced in each end of the stick for the accommodation of the guide rods or wires extending parallel to the longitudinal edges of the curtain, which prevent the curtain from flapping in the wind when the vehicle is in motion. I

The object otmy invention is to eliminate the manual sewing operation, which takes time, and to secure the stick in place within the hem of the curtain solelyby the said screw eyes and end plates interposed between the eye and the shade material, there by reducing'the cost of production per shade, increasing the production of any given number of operators, and materially improving the appearance of the finished article,

The invention will. be hereinafter described in detail, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a detached perspective view of the curtain elements;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the curtain with the elements assembled;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of a detail of the curtain assemblage.

In the drawing, the curtain proper is illustrated and indicated by the reference character 1, the edges of which may or may not be turned back upon the curtain and sewed in place as indicated at 2 and 3 respectively, as desired.

Extending transverselyacross the end of the curtain is a stick-retaining hem 4 which is formed by folding the curtain material upon itself and securing the edge thereof to the body 1 by a line. of stitches 3.

A draw-stick 5 is adapted to be placed in the hem 4, after which the curtain material at the ends of the hem 4 is folded over the respective ends of the draw-stick 5 as indicated at 6 and 7.

The draw-stick 5 is provided with a pre formed aperture 8. at each of its ends for the reception of the threadedshank 90f a screw-eye 10, 2

. A fter the curtain material is folded over one end of the stick 5 as indicated at 6 and 7, a washer or end plate 11 is placed on the shank 9 of the screw-eyel0 and the said shanlt forced through the folds or flaps of curta n material and into the aperture 8 in the end of the draw-stick -5 the screw-eye being simultaneously rotated to cause the .threads of its shank 9 to take hold in the walls of said aperture and thereby secure the screw-eye 1 0 in plaee,-the said screw eye pressing the end plate 11 into rigid en gagement with the overlapping portions 6 and 7 of the curtain material and these por tions into rigid contact with the ends of the stick 5, thereby efliciently securingthe whole of the assemblage together and preventing the stick from moving relative to the said curtain. This operation is then repeated at the other longitudinal edge of the curtain.

Rotation of the screw eye 10 is preferably effected by power driven means which also adds to the speed of production, and the preforming of the aperture 8 in the end of the stick obviates the possibility of the stick being split by the rapid insertion of the screw-eye shank.

Obviously the washer or end plate 11 may be replaced by an end plate such as that illustrated in Fig. 4 and indicated by the reference character 11 which is of the same general contour as the end of the stick 5 and whichwill entirely conceal the overlapping portions 6 and of the curtain when. assem- Obviously if the shade is not to be used in conjunction with guide rods 0r wires, the screw-eye may be replaced by an ordinary headed screw or a tack or nail having a head which will prevent the laps 6 and 7 from slipping off the outer endof such a retaining element. 7

I claim: p

1. In combination with a window shade having a hem formed therein and a drawstick located in said hem, means for securing the draw-stick in said hem comprising a flap formed by folding the shade material over the end of the draw-stick; a retaining element adapted to be passed through said flap and to be secured in said draw-stick for secnring the flap in place.

2. In combination With a Window shadehaving a hem formed therein and a drawhaving a hem formed therein and a drawstick located in said hem, means for securing the draw-stick in said hem comp-rising a flap formed by folding the shade material over the end of the draw-stick; a retaining element adapted to be passed through said flap and to be secured in said draw-stick; and a head on said retaining element adapted to engage and hold said flap in place.

3. In'combination' with a Window shade having a hem formed therein and a draw stick located in said hem, means for securing the draw-stick in said hem comprising a flap formed by folding'the shade material over the end of the draw-stick; a retaining element adapted to be'passed through said flap and to be secured in said draw-stick; an end plate on said retaining element engaging the flap; and ahead on said retaining element engaging said end plate for securing the Whole as a rigid assemblage.

t'In combination with a Window shade having a hem formed therein and a drawstick located in said hem, means for securing the draw-stick in said hem comprising a pair of overlapping flaps extending over the end of the draw-stick from the opposite sides of said hem and formed by folding the shade material lying adjacent the end of said draw-stick thereo-ver; a retaining element adapted to be passed through the said iiaps andto be secured in said draw-stick and a headonsaid retaining element adapted to engage the flaps and secure them to the end of said stick, whereby the stick is secured in the said hem.

5. In combination with a Window shade stick located in said hem, means for securing the draw-stick in said hem comprising a pair of overlapping flaps extending over the end of, the draw-stick, from the opposite sides of said hem and formed by folding the shade material lying adjacent the end of said draw-stick thereover; an end plate adjacent the flaps; a retaining element adapted to be passed through the end plate, through the flaps and to be secured in the said stick; and a head on said securing'element adapted to engage said'end plate for securing the Whole as a rigid assemblage.

6-. In combination With'a Window shade having a hem formed therein and a drawsticklo'oatedin said hem, means for securing the draw-stick in said hem comprising a pair of overlapping flaps extending over the end of the draw-stick from the opposite sides of said hem and formed by: folding the shade material lying adjacent the'end of said drawstick thereover; an end plate adjacent the outermost of the overlapping flaps; and a screw-eye adapted to pass through an aperture formed in said end plate, through the pair 'of'overlapping flaps and into the end of said draw-stick, the annular head of said screW-eyepressing against the said end plate which presses the flaps into contact with the end of the draw-stick, for securing the drawstick in place in said hem.

EDWVARD REUKAUF, JR. 

